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Point of View: 40 years of being the Florida taxpayers’ eyes and ears

Published by . on November 30, 2019

Opinion
Editorial by Sen. George LeMieux

Palm
Beach Post

Nov.
30, 2019

In
today’s world of immediate access to information and ten-minute news cycles
driven by social media, it is easy to forget that when it comes to government
policies, we are all playing the long game. Florida’s low-tax,
business-friendly climate and taxpayer-friendly policies have allowed our state
to become one of the most desirable places in the world to call home. But it
was not always this way. On the way to becoming the Sunshine State we all know
and love, there were more and higher taxes, a more volatile constitutional
amendment process and less-informed elected leaders.

The
beginning of the change for many of these issues was the creation of a group
called Florida TaxWatch in 1979. Born out of a recognized need by leaders in
the state senate and the business community, TaxWatch was founded on the
principle that what government needs is an independent watchdog and taxpayer
policy institution to keep them honest, a guide-dog to show them the right
path, and a bird-dog to make sure that they are responsible stewards of the
taxpayers’ hard-earned money.

Did
you know that at one point in Florida, you were required to pay state taxes on
intangible property, such as stocks and bonds, copyrights, life insurance, and
patents? You are already taxed on many of these items by the federal
government, but Florida residents were paying double. Following several rate
adjustments in the late 1990s, Gov. Jeb Bush in 1998 signed a bill containing
most of the recommendations of a Florida TaxWatch task force, which began the
march to the full repeal of the Intangibles Tax in 2006.

Did
you know that prior to 2006, it only took a simple majority of voters to amend
the state constitution? Arguably, this is how we ended up with some of our more
infamous amendments finding their way into the budget, but today’s 60 percent
threshold, passed by voters in 2006, with solid data and unrelenting advocacy
of Florida TaxWatch.

TaxWatch
was also there, leading the way, when our state was hit with the immediate
effects of the 2008 Great Recession. As Gov. Crist’s chief of staff at the
time, I can tell you, there was a good deal of panic over how to close what was
becoming a multi-billion-dollar budget hole in the middle of the fiscal year.
But coming to the rescue was Florida TaxWatch, releasing a detailed report
outlining 42 measures that could be put in place to save money, avoid costs and
maximize revenue of nearly $2 billion. Ultimately, more than $1.6 billion in
long-term savings from that report were implemented, and we were able to pull
the state out of the abyss.

Another
five cost-savings reports followed in the years to come, and the Legislature
implemented billions more in TaxWatch recommendations, keeping Florida citizens
safe and whole while ensuring our budget was lean and efficient as we recovered
from the crisis.

No
matter the challenges over the last 40 years in Florida, TaxWatch has been
there. From major issues like property tax reforms, budget deficits, to efforts
to maximize the effectiveness of Florida’s education system, to transforming
public schools with our great TaxWatch Principal Leadership Program and wise
early childhood education, TaxWatch has been on the job.

Many
in today’s world appear to believe that knowledge and expertise aren’t
important, that longevity is a deficiency, and that problems can be fixed if
you simply make enough noise, generate enough outrage. Real reform takes time,
expertise, and a solid partner with a demonstrated ability to bring sound,
evidence-based solutions to the table that will work for everyone.

GEORGE
LEMIEUX, TALLAHASSEE

Editor’s
note: LeMieux is a former U.S. Senator for Florida and chief of staff to
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist overseeing all state agencies and operations.

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